Outdoor Advertising as
A Social Channel

Month: May 2021

Outdoor advertising may be seen by some as a separate world from digital advertising, but this is not the case as it has become a social channel.

Digital advertising has grown exponentially over the last decade causing a shift in attention and budget allocation from outdoor advertising. It however soon became clear that consumers’ attention isn’t focused on one form of advertising.

Marketing Is Entering A New Era

Social media has taken advertising by storm and everybody wants a piece of the cake.

Advertising has evolved so much over the past decades and the Internet opened new frontiers for advertising.

Social media ensures that people spend a huge amount of their time online. Advertising on social media also has its challenges. This includes:

  • Facebook algorithm changes
  • Rising ad costs
  • Getting noticed in overcrowded feeds
  • Too many trends to keep up with
  • Authentic connection with the audience
  • A dramatic drop in organic reach
  • Tracking results

Marketers get unique insights on how to reach consumers if they know where consumers are going, what they pay attention to, what they need, and where they shop.

Using Outdoor Advertising as A Social Channel

Billboards have become more eye-catching seeing that people spend so much time in front of screens and have become pros in ignoring or blocking pop-up ads and banners. Outdoor advertising can, however, be greatly amplified when consumers share ads on social media.

A photo of an eye-catching billboard on social media can travel the globe in an instant. Marketers are in the position to effectively create advertising campaigns that complement themselves across different platforms.

If an advertisement is creative and eye-catching enough consumers will amplify the product or service on behalf of advertisers. Research has shown that consumers are posting photos of interesting outdoor advertisements on social media platforms such as Instagram which leads to a specific advertisement being seen by three times as many people.

With social media in the mix outdoor advertising has become more about creating a culture and less about creating ads. Another study has shown that consumers are more likely to buy, engage with a brand on social media or download an app after seeing an outdoor advertisement.

Seeing that the use of social media occurs primarily on mobile devices consumers always have their devices on the ready when they are out and about. This means that campaigns that can integrate both can influence the impact of both mediums.

Much has been written about DOOH and OOH lately. The question is often what the distinctive differences between the two are, and which of these to choose for your outdoor advertising campaign. Firstly, before DOOH, we had OOH. OOH stands for Out of Home advertising. This includes mostly static billboards that are stationed in areas and locations where they can draw the most attention to the people who matter. The images are usually printed and displayed on huge billboards and remain there until the advertising campaign or contract is over. OOH is largely focused on capturing the attention of people who traverse the same route on roads, walking in the same areas and locations where a particular business is operating. OOH billboards, however, cannot be updated or changed as often as DOOH, because it requires a large format print, and someone to practically set up the billboard with a new visual image.

DOOH indicates a shift to Digitised Out of Home advertising, and new technology has brought along a whole new era of outdoor advertising for commercial purposes. These “billboards” display electronic images that can move (much like television or online advertising), and it is possible to interact with users on digital platforms. Advertisers can also share these boards, which means that messages on DOOH can be displayed at different times by different advertisers to hone in on their target markets. For instance, in the morning commute, messages can be displayed that advertise products to high-income commuters, while during mid-morning other advertising media can be displayed that may appeal to homemakers and stay at home parents. During lunchtimes, advertising for restaurants and special food promotions can be displayed. This flexibility in advertising allows the same board, on the same location, to capture different markets at different times of the day.

OOH remains relevant and is overall cheaper than DOOH. It also delivers a constant message over time which increases retention and consumer loyalty. DOOH is more expensive but can be highly versatile, as it can be combined with various online platforms during a single advertising campaign. They can also be interactive and prompt people to respond online to a question, breaking news, a booking, or a promotion, or even to leave feedback on the advertisement displayed.

DOOH advertising, as a result, can provide feedback on the target market and the types of users it attracts through its campaigns. It is dynamic and flexible, and interesting to watch. Often cameras or CCTV are also built into these dynamic billboards to measure consumer behaviour and to gauge audience numbers. It can therefore provide a more accurate reflection on the ultimate success of the campaign and user numbers.

If you are keen to find out which advertising media would be best suited to your campaign or company, speak to our customer service consultants at Face First Media as soon as possible, and we will ensure that you get the best value for your money!